BEST THAI ELVIS (2009)

How can you not adore a Thai restaurant that serves the best spicy papaya salad around as well as strange meat delicacies, stays open late and employs a goofball Thai guy who does a great Elvis imitation? We've been to Palm Thai dozens of times, mostly to order the exact same thing — fried tofu with cashew nuts and peppers. We never grow tired of the dish or the peculiar little man in his pompadour wig, platform shoes and flashy suits. He croons Elvis tunes beautifully and has the hip moves down. The service is fast, the food is cheap and a giant Elvis statue makes for perfect dinner conversation. For the voyeur, the tables are close together, so you can drool over your neighbor's deer with green peppercorn in curry sauce (we city folk think that deer is served only with a side of mangled headlights), frogs' legs fried in chili, or wild boar in spicy coconut sauce. Who says you can only find exotic fare with a middle-aged Elvis performing "Love Me Tender" in Vegas? 5900 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd. (323) 462-5073.